Which is better for dog food and supplies? You have to admit, Amazon usually wins the battle of best price and fast shipping when it comes to ordering anything online.
But wait, what about Chewy? They too have fast, free shipping and great prices to match!
I have ordered our dog food and supplies from both Chewy and Amazon. Finding the best place to buy dog food and supplies online can save you time and money.
Benefits of ordering dog food online vs. local pet store
- No need to drive to the pet store, saving on gas money
- No impulse buys on toys and treats we don’t need
- Less expensive (most of the time)
I am reviewing and naming the benefits of each my top two choices, Chewy.com vs. Amazon. When comparing our local pet shop, they are always more expensive.
This post does contains affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will receive a small commission, but it won’t cost you a penny more). Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
Ordering dog food and supplies from Chewy.com
I can’t remember how or even when I first heard about ordering dog food from Chewy.com, but I do know I haven’t looked back since.
Why do I love Chewy.com so much? The ability to hyper search dog food by ingredients. With a dog that has food allergies, this is really important to me. I need to read all of her food labels to make sure there are no ingredients she is allergic to and Chewy makes this very easy to do.
Not only can I search by ingredient, but I can also view the list under nutritional info and by an enlarged photo of the bag itself. Can you imagine doing this in a local pet store? I’d be there all day!
Chewy.com does not usually offer coupons, but they do offer a several benefits and deals:
- Available 24/7 via phone, email, chat, and social media – including holidays and weekends
- Save 30% on your first auto-ship
- Save 5-10% on dog food when you use auto-ship
- Free 1-2 day shipping on all orders over $49
- Customer Service goes above and beyond the average experience
Ordering dog food and supplies from Amazon
It’s crazy to think about how Amazon has taken over our shopping experiences. I admit, my entire family are Amazon shopaholics! Mostly, my college-aged boys, they order everything on Amazon.
I opt for Chewy.com for our dog food because I feel more comfortable knowing it’s fresh from a pet specialty shop. But I have been known to add a dog toy or two in my shopping cart on Amazon!
It’s important to note, pricing is very comparable and sometime the same at Chewy and Amazon. So I recommend choosing one and stick to it. Each company have their unique benefits if you are a loyal customer.
Shopping at your local pet store
I realize some people like to support their local merchants, which is great. And we still head over to our local Mounds store occasionally. But I also need to be budget conscious, and my dogs are a big part of our budget.
Some local pet stores do offer loyalty programs, so this is something to consider.
Chewy vs. Amazon for dog food and supplies
Below are a few items I regularly order online for my dogs. Amazon does not allow me to list prices since they can change daily.
You will need to check the price to see how it compares for the products you order regularly. 99% of the time, both companies offered the exact same price.
Zignature Trout & Salmon Meal Limited Ingredient Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Check the price on Chewy.com
Check the price on Amazon
Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Rabbit Dry Dog Food
Check the price Chewy.com
Check the price on Amazon
Wellness CORE Grain-Free Ocean Whitefish
Check the price on Chewy.com
Check the price on Amazon
Fruitables Greek Coconut Yogurt Flavor Crunchy Dog Treats
Check the price on Chewy.com
Check the price on Amazon
MidWest LifeStages 36” Double Door Dog Crate
In general I have found Amazon to be cheaper for dog crates. Another option is to check your local Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace.
Check the price on Chewy.com
Check the price on Amazon
Musher’s Secret Paw Protection Natural Dog Wax
Check the price on Chewy.com
Check the price on Amazon
KONG Classic Dog Toy
Check the price on Chewy.com
Check the price on Amazon (2-pack) single not available
EcoEars Natural Dog Ear Cleaner
Check the price on Chewy.com
Check the price on Amazon
The Results: So where is the cheapest place to buy dog food?
That depends on the brand, and if you prefer the auto-ship option from Chewy.com.
In summary, I found Chewy.com and Amazon comparable and in many cases the exact same price.
For our family, the best place to buy dog food online is Chewy.com. I prefer the shopping experience on their website over Amazon.
The key to Chewy.com is that they offer a discount when you choose their auto-ship service. The first time you try this service, you can save 30% on your entire order. Then each time after that you save 5% on your dog food.
We feed our dogs the Zignature dog food. So that saves us $3.25 each bag of food.
If you order dog food once a month, you’d save $39.00 per year on dog food. In the lifetime of a 12-year-old dog, that means you save $468.
Is that going to make or break your bank account, probably not? But if you have two or more dogs, it adds up really quick.
For us with two dogs and many times, a foster dog makes three, we would save over $1,000/year.
Where is your favorite place to order your dog’s food and supplies? Please share your experience with a comment below. It will help others in our community make the right decision for their family.
I feel like I’ve become a much more savvy shopper over the years. Guess what? When I was feeding my dogs Orijen our local pet store was less expensive then both Amazon and Chewy!
I find I can get higher subscribe and saves using Amazon then Chewy and since you need multiple items for the subscribe and save it’s a little easier with Amazon since you don’t have to have strictly pet products in your basket.
Interesting about Amazon Subscribe! I did not know about that program… thanks for sharing!